This invention pertains to pasta products and methods for making the same. More particularly, this invention is directed to decorated pasta and methods of making the same.
Indices and various decorative elements have been employed on different types of food products. Heretofore, successful use of decorative elements has been limited to materials having a high sugar content such as sugar-coated materials, sugar-iced products and the like. The use of decorative elements and indicia has been more limited on other food products. It has also been difficult to impart printed indicia and decorative elements on food products that lack the high sugar content found in materials such as sugar-iced products. It has also been difficult to impart permanent printing, decorations and indicia on food material that requires subsequent cooking or processing steps. This is particularly problematic for high starch materials such as noodles, pasta and the like.
Thus it would be desirable to provide a pasta material that can be decorated in one or more colors, with discrete indicia if desired, that is essentially stable during the cooking process. It would also be desirable to provide a method for imparting a design on a food product such as pasta.